Binder mechanism



Feb. 27, 1934. RM WATSON 1,948,603

BINDER MECHANISM Filed July 20, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

A TTORNEYS' Flam/P0 M NH 760;

Patented Feb. 27, 1934 UNITED STATES FATENT OFFICE BINDER MECHANISM :"21

Richard M. Watson, Detroit, Mich.

Application July 20, 1931. Serial No. 551,864

13 Claims.

This invention relates to hinder mechanisms, and has to do particularly with novel improvements in binder mechanisms of the three ring type.

The present invention relates to binder mechanisms adapted to be used in binders of the more expensive type and in outward appearance the binder mechanism embodying the present invention resembles in detail the appearance of an expensive plate type three ring binder; however, in the concealed construction, my present binder mechanism embodies extremely inexpensive and easily assembled parts presenting great efficiency both in assembly and operation. The present invention has to do with improved structure over that disclosed in my copending application Serial No. 537,248, filed May 14, 1931.

Specific features of the present invention reside in the provision of ring carrying toggle members which are so offset at their point of attachment with the rings as to present a straight line of contact with the turned over flange of the shell. An important feature of the invention is the fact that the toggles contact with the flanges of the shell at the points of attachment of the ring members and the fact that the entire toggle unit is formed of a straight line of contact materially adds to its efficiency and compactness.

Another feature of the invention resides in the design and assembly of the wire toggle units whereby the load is distributed along the fianges adjacent the ring members. Another feature resides in the lightening of the entire binder mechanism as compared to three ring binder mechanisms-utilizing fiat plates as toggle members.

Other features embody the extension of the toggle members to reinforce the shell at the ends, and. the manner of assembling the toggles at the ends whereby the toggle joint acts as a two-way booster. Still further features reside in the forming of wire toggle members having oval wire ring members without the necessity of swedging, said wire toggles being offset at the point of contact with the ring members whereby to fill in the cutaway hole in the shell member for receiving the ring members, said offset at the same time providing for the alignment of the contacting edge of thetoggle with the whole edge of the shell. Other features of importance will be brought out in the specification and claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 illustrates the first step in' the formation oithe toggle members, and showing the manner of offsetting the wire to receive the ring members.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the togglemember with the lengths of oval wire ring members secured thereto.

Fig. 3 is a plan view similar to Fig. 1, showing the oval formed ring members welded into position, also showing one end of the toggle being db bent up to form a handle member.

Fig. 4 is a sectional View taken on line 1- 1 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is an inverted plan view of the bottom of the shell member showing one toggle member 5' located in its normal position relative to the flange f the shell.

Fig. 6 is an inverted plan view showing both toggle members in operating position.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary plan View of the struc- 7bture shown in Fig. 6, illustrating in particular how the offset portion of the toggle is filled in by the ring member.

Fig. 8 is a sectional View taken on line 8-8 of Fig. 6, showing the shell secured to a bottom plate, a portion of the bottom plate being turned in near the end of the shell to lock the same in position.

Fig. 9 is an end view of the structure shown in Fig. 8. Y

Fig. 10 is a sectional view taken on'line 10-10 3 of Fig. 7 showing the ring members in elevation.

Fig. 11 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 10 taken at a point adjacent the ring members instead of through the ring members, and being slightly modified in that it shows two operating fingers instead of one. 7

Following the embodiment shown in the drawings, 1 preferably talre a straight length of round wire 1 and offset the same as at 2, the wire in each case extending past the end offset portions, one extension 3 being preferably slightly longer than the other extension i. To the offset portions 2 I add lengths of oval wire 5. These lengths of oval wire may be straight or they may be initially preformed in the shape of sections of a ring or ring members 6 which are oval in cross section, as shown in Fig. 3.

In either case, a straight length of oval wire or any form of length of oval wire is welded to the wire 1 within the offset portions, as best shown at '7 in Fig. 3.

The extension 3 is shown as being bent up to form the finger 8 in Fig. 3, but this extension is preferably not bent up into this position until after the toggle is assembled on the shell member. The wire 1 or what might now be termed the toggle unit, may now be offset to a considerable degree as at 9 and 1c, the faces of the offsets being formed as at 11, as is well known in the art, whereby to complementally fit and engage 11 with an oppositely positioned toggle member of the same formation. In this particular case the offset portions 9 and 10 are positioned intermediate the ring members 6, the particular advantage of this being that the load is applied to the flange of the shell at all the points of contact between the toggle unit 1 and the flange of the shell; by positioning the oifsets 9 and 10 as shown, the portion of the toggle unit adjacent the center ring member 6 positively contacts with the flange of the shell whereas if the offsets 9 and 10 were closer to the end ring members, there would be a bowing in of the toggle adjacent the center ring member necessitating expensive and complicated means for operating the toggles at this point.

The shell member 12 is preferably of one piece and imperforate except for small openings 13 in the edges thereof for receiving the ring members. The flanges 14 at the side edges of the shell are preferably preformed so as to provide a permanently formed shell prior to assembly. In this case the toggle members are inserted in position and snapped together into the position shown in Fig. 6 and in this manner the load is placed in the wire. This presents a real gain in assembly over the use of connecting plates, as plates usually have to be inserted, the edges of the shell bent and the shell rolled. In inserting the toggle units in the preformed flanges of the shell, a straight line of contact is obtained as is best illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3, to present a shell edge very neat in appearance.

The ends of the shell 12 are apertured as at 16 and preferably bent downwardly and inwardly to form the attaching members 15. These attaching members have small apertures formed in the end walls of the turned down members 15 for receiving, and acting as bearings for, the extensions of the toggle units. Thus the extensions 3 and 4 of the toggles pass the end ring members and not only materially reinforce the ends of the shell but, as shown, one or more of the extensions may protrude through apertures in the end wall of the shell and be turned upwardly to form operating fingers 8 which may be used for actuating the ring members instead of grasping the ring members themselves.

In assembling the toggle units, the straight extension 3 is projected through the aperture in the end of the shell and. this extension may then be turned upwardly as at 8 before or after loading or assembly of the toggle units. Oppositely positioned ends of the toggle wires may be turned up as shown in Fig. 6, or as shown in solid lines in Fig. 11 the ends of the toggle wires at the same end of the shell may be turned up to serve as actuating fingers 8.

As best shown at 17 in Fig. 7, the offset portions 2 and the welded oval wire very neatly fill in the openings 13 in the shell so as to present a very ornamental appearance.

Various types of attaching members may be utilized in connection with my shell and in Figs. 8 and 9 I have shown an arcuate attaching member 18 having a pressed out lug 19 which is bent over through the aperture 16 to positively secure the shell to the attaching member 18, such attaching member being secured to the back of the binder in any of many different standard ways.

It will thus be seen that the offsets provided in the toggle wire bring the outer working edge of the toggle wire as a straight line of contact against the portions of the flange of the shell which carry the toggle units. The welding of the ring members of wire of preformed oval cross section to the toggle units provides a very rigid joint and eliminates the necessity of swedging, as is necessary when the ring members are formed of the same piece of wire as the toggle member. The preformed flanges of the shell provide for very quick and accurate assembly. The top portion of my binder mechanism presents an appearance which is exactly identical to binder mechanisms of the type using plates as a toggle means. Furthermore, the wire extensions in my toggle units form reinforcing means for the ends of the one piece shell, which are sometimes quite weak in the larger binders.

What I claim is:

1. A binder mechanism for loose leaf binders, comprising a shell, wire toggle units operatively supported by the shell, and spaced oval wire ring members welded to the wire toggle units, the wire of said toggle units being offset inwardly to receive the ring members.

2. A binder mechanism for loose leaf binders, comprising a preflanged shell, wire toggle units supported by said flanges, spaced openings at the edges of the shell, and ring members of wire oval in cross section, welded to said wire toggles protruding through said openings, the wire of the toggles extending past the point of welding of the end ring members to reinforce the ends of the shell.

3. A binder mechanism for loose leaf binders, comprising a preflanged shell, wire toggle units supported by said flanges, spaced openings at the edges of the shell, and ring members of wire oval in cross section, welded to said wire toggles and protruding through said openings, the wire of the toggles extending past the point of welding of the end ring members to reinforce the ends of the shell, the wire of said toggle units being offset inwardly to receive the ring members.

4. A binder mechanism for loose leaf binders, comprising a preflanged shell, wire toggle units supported by said flanges, spaced openings at the edges of the shell, and ring members of wire, oval in cross section, welded to said wire toggles and protruding through said openings, the wire of said toggle units being offset inwardly to receive the ring members.

5. A three ring binder mechanism for loose leaf binders, comprising a one piece shell, the top of which is imperforate except for openings in the sides thereof for the ring members, wire toggle members carried by the shell, ring members of wire of oval cross section welded to the wire toggle member, the wire toggle members being offset at the point of attachment to the ring members whereby to generally fill in the openings in the shell.

6. A three ring binder mechanism for loose leaf binders, comprising a one-piece shell having the ends thereof turned downwardly and inwardly, wire toggle members carried by the shell, and ring members Welded to the wire toggle members at points spaced from the ends and spaced from each other, the wire toggle members extending past the end ring members to reinforce the ends of the shell.

7. A three ring binder mechanism for loose leaf binders, comprising a one-piece shell having the ends thereof turned downwardly and inwardly, wire toggle members carried by the shell, and ring members welded to the wire toggle members at points spaced from the ends and spaced from each other, one of the wire toggle members extending past an endring member and through ,an opening in the end of the shell, the part extending through the end of the shell being turned upwardly to form an actuating member for the ring.

8. A three ring binder mechanism for loose leaf binders, comprising a one piece shell having preformed flanges, wire toggle members supported Within and adapted to bear against the preformed flanges, and ring members welded to the wire toggle members and the wire toggle members being offset inwardly at the point of attachment of the ring members whereby all parts of the toggle members and the welded part of the ring members are confined within the edges of the shell defined by the preformed flanges.

9. Loose leaf binder means comprising a base member having flanges along opposite edges, a pair of wire members one along each flanged edge of the base member, each wire member being formed to provide bearing portions which bear against a flange and with portions which articulate upon similar portions of the other wire member, said base member having openings therein, openable ring members projecting through said openings in the base, said wire members being adapted to rock on their axes to open and close the ring members with the bearing portions thereof bearing against said flanges, each wire member having an offset therein for receiving a ring member, said offset being of a depth such that the part of the ring member received therein lies substantially flush with the said bearing portions, and said ring member being secured in said offset.

10. Loose leaf binder means comprising a base member having flanges along opposite edges, a pair of wire members one along each flanged edge of the base member, each wire member being formed to provide bearing portions which bear against a flange and with portions which articulate upon similar portions of the other wire member, said base member having openings therein,

'openable ring members projecting through said openings in the base, said wire members being adapted to rock on their axes to open and close the ring members with the bearing portions thereof bearing against said flanges, each wire member having an offset therein for receiving a ring member, said offset having a shape to substantially fit the ring member therein and having a depth substantially equal to the cross sectional dimension of the part of the ring member in said ofiset measured in a direction substantially at right angles to the axis of the wire member, whereby said part of the ring member in the said offset lies substantially flush with the bearing portions of said wire member, and said ring member being secured in said offset.

11. Loose leaf binder means comprising a base member with a flange on its opposite edges, a pair of wire-like toggle members having bearing portions arranged to rock on said flanges, said base member having openings therein, openable ring members carried by the wire-like toggle members arranged to be opened and closed by articulation of the toggle members and the rocking of the bearing portions thereof on said flanges, at least one ring member on each wirelike toggle member comprising a separate piece, each wire-like toggle member having an offset for receiving its respective separate ring member, which oiiset has a depth which is substantially equal to the cross sectional dimension of that part of the separate ring member, which is in the offset, measured in a direction substantially at right angles to the axis of the bearing portions, whereby the axis of the rocking bearing portions substantially coincides with a center line through the said part of the separate ring member which in the offset, and said separate ring member being welded in said offset.

12. 'In a loose leaf binder means having a base with flanges on opposite edge portions of the base and having ring supporting members rockable on the flanges and in which the base member has openings therein and having coopcrable ring members projecting through the openings in the base and which ring members are opened and closed by the rocking of the supporting members; a structure for uniting a supporting member and a separate ring member comprising an offset formation in a supporting member which is in substantial alignment with an opening in the base, the separate ring member having a part disposed in said offset, said offset formation having a sufficient depth so that the part of the ring member disposed therein lies in substantial alignment with the supporting member, the separate ring member projecting through the opening in the base and being secured in said offset formation.

13. In a loose leaf binder means having a base with flanges on opposite edge portions of the base and having ring supporting members rockable on the flanges and in which the base member has openings therein and having cooperable ring members projecting through the openings in the base and which ring members are opened and closed by the rocking of the supporting members; a structure for uniting a supporting member and a separate ring member comprising an offset formation in a supporting member which is in substantial alignment with an opening in the base, the separate ring member having a part disposed in said offset, said offset formation having a sufficient depth so that the part of the ring member disposed therein lies in substantial alignment with the supporting member, the separate ring member projecting through the opening in the base, and said separate ring member being welded to said offset formation in the supporting member.

RICHARD M. WATSON. 

